Helen Noble
Nominated From: University of Washington
Research Site: Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
Research Area: Evidence-based practice, point of care medical information systems
Primary Mentor: Lacey LaGrone
Research Project
UpToDate in the Americas: access, use, and clinical impact
Our research focuses on understanding and encouraging the practice of evidence-based surgery at 12 hospitals in Lima, Peru. Along with the Peruvian General Surgery Society and partners at each of these hospitals, our team will teach a class on evidence-based practice and introduce UpToDate access (a point-of-care online resource that efficiently and effectively answers clinical question). Using a mixed-methods implementation science model, we aim to address how UpToDate is accepted and used in this surgical setting, and if access to UpToDate changes clinical practice.
Research Significance
Evidence-based care leads to shorter hospital stays, improved hospital quality metrics, and lower risk-adjusted mortality. Primary literature is the ideal place to find the best clinical evidence, but time constraints prevent busy healthcare providers from critiquing articles. UpToDate is an online information database that synthesizes primary literature to create high-yield, clinically relevant summaries of the latest evidence. Though it is well known globally as a high-quality resource, the cost of UpToDate is prohibitive in low- and middle- income countries, and clinician articles are published in English only, thus excluding many providers. Our study aims to increase access to medical information globally, and work towards open access to information that impacts every tier of global health systems.
Advice for Potential Candidates
Start your application early, and build a well-rounded mentor team (a mentor who can support your daily questions, a mentor who has connections in your field/in country, and a mentor who can see big picture, for example).
Mentors
